MLB Game Preview - Milwaukee at NY Mets

Sat Apr 27, 2019 7:10 PM EDT

Noah Syndergaard hasn't pitched as advertised this season, and the New York Mets right-hander is intent on correcting things against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night.

Syndergaard (1-2, 5.90) has just one quality start in five outings this season, and that came back on April 4 against the Washington Nationals. He went 13-4 last season with a 3.03 ERA.

Syndergaard went five innings in his last start on Sunday and allowed six runs (four earned) and eight hits in a 6-4 loss against the host St. Louis Cardinals. That was a slight improvement over his previous start, when he gave up five runs and nine hits in five innings of a no-decision, during a 7-6 win at the Philadelphia Phillies.

"The entire beginning of the season, my performances have been unacceptable," he told reporters after his most recent start. "I have to be better. I will be better. There are no excuses for it."

Syndergaard has pitched well against the Brewers in his career. In four starts against Milwaukee, he's 2-0 with a 1.48 ERA.

Syndergaard has also won a good portion of the matchups against Brewers right fielder Christian Yelich, who is tied for the major league lead in home runs (13) and ranks second in RBIs (32).

Yelich is 3-for-17 in his career against Syndergaard, with one double and six strikeouts. The only other Milwaukee player who has faced Syndergaard at least 10 times in the majors is leadoff hitter Lorenzo Cain, who's 2-for-10 without an extra-base hit and with four strikeouts.

Both players made key contributions at the plate in the Brewers' 10-2 win in the series opener on Friday night.

Cain had two hits, including a three-run double, and Yelich had two hits, a run and an RBI to bump his average to .333.

Milwaukee also got veteran infielder Mike Moustakas back after a four-game absence because of a right hand injury, and he delivered two hits and two RBIs in the series opener.

Brandon Woodruff (2-1, 5.81) will take the mound for the Brewers in the middle game of the series, and he'll also be looking to improve over his past few starts.

Woodruff gave up five runs and seven hits over 5 2/3 innings in his last outing, a 6-5 loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers in which he did not receive the decision. Woodruff gave up two home runs in that start after surrendering two in his first four outings combined.

"I'm right there as far as getting through these," Woodruff said after his latest appearance. "I'm not having too much of a problem getting deep into the game, it's finding a way to quit giving up that crooked number there at the beginning, or in the middle of my outing, and just trying to execute a little better. Once that happens, I'll start seeing some better results."

Woodruff has never faced the Mets in his three-year major league career. New York catcher Wilson Ramos is the only player on the Mets who has batted off Woodruff at the major league level, and he's 1-for-3 off the right-hander.

Woodruff is also a dangerous hitter for Milwaukee. He's 5-for-9 at the plate this season with two doubles and two RBIs.

--Field Level Media